Monday, October 29, 2012
Local Fish, Local Problems
A very interesting piece in the NY Times at the beginning of the month speaks to how great some fishery problems can be solved at a local level. The article found here: A Growing Movement for Community Supported Fisheries
This process and system will trump economics and policy across the fishery world. By developing a community interested in sustainability is a tough process, but will no doubt solve some problems facing our growing demand for seafood. It's about the future, not the belief of the past when it comes to fish. Last time I checked, I couldn't taste how popular a fish was to catch when its on my plate next to a cold beer or glass of wine......
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Unfortionatly, this article, like many that promote "New and Novel" management schemes try to tie marketing with :Sustainability". Problem is, this is not so. The Local, Community based marketing of fish is just that, selling locally caught fish to support the local community, though as this article points out, its reach and sales have expanded. Even with a boast of developing more efficient harvesting techniques, though good, still doess not equate to sustainable fishing however. The notion of "Sustainable" fisheries has wrongly been exploited as a marketing gimmict to profit from. Traceable seafood is a great idea, and allows consumers a choice of where their seafood comes from , and who it supports....but again, it does not make it sustainable. Truely sustainable fisheries are ones that by reliable, accurate and current science based data are determined to have a biomass of their stock at a level, that the allowable harvest rate annually with mortality of releases and bycatch, allows the stocks sie to maintain an equilibrium at the least. Unfortionatly as a result of poor management, and a policy that makes Market Based Management a Priority over Science Based, the budget needed to make this necessary determination is drying up. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent on "New and Novel" management schemes, even reallocating money FROM Fishery Schence and Reasesrch to pay for them, while the needed Stock Assesments are only avaliable on a minority of US Federally Managed Fish Stocks. Sure, a handfull of people are profiting....but at the expense of the rest of the Fishing Community, and the Fisheries themselves. Its time to put the Science FIRST, them allow the Management to be based on science thats reliable, Accurate, Current and Complete....something we do not have now in US Fishery Management.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your opinion Henry
Delete